War on Drugs?

Clearly, for the environment, illicit drugs and their producers are far from harmless. But what can we do about them?

Some people argue that we must crack down harder on drug producers.

Others, however, say that we need to face a tough reality.

Illegal drug production isn’t going to stop, they say. Instead of getting more aggressive, we should actually focus on de-escalating the war on drugs.

This is because, when drug and law enforcers get rough, they just end up pushing drug growers further into wild places and protected areas.

A better strategy, the argument goes, would be to legalize drugs like marijuana, so they can be grown beyond the shadows. Rather than driving habitat destruction, drug producers could then be creating legal jobs and tax revenues.

There’s plenty of room for debate here.

Regardless of where you might stand, one thing is clear: Narco-trafficking isn’t just a social or law-enforcement issue.